My thoughts on the game:-Two absolutely fantastic USA goals in the dying minutes of the first half made all the difference. And there was Landon Donovan making them both happen. Wow that guy is something else. Especially the 2nd goal, to not get flustered with the seconds running out in the half he cuts back and launches a perfect cross to Altidore for the winner! Bravo!-As frustrating as it was for us USA fans to see our team only beat a clearly outmanned El Salvador by only 1 goal, we need to realize that no one else has been able to beat them by any bigger score in this qualifying round either. They also lost on the road to Costa Rica, Honduras and T&T all by 1 goal. While beating Mexico and drawing with Trinidad & Tobago and the USA at home.-One of my favorite parts of the game was seeing the huge smile on the face of Jose Francisco Torres after he almost headed home a great cross from Stuart Holden. Yes, I know he missed, and should be mad at himself for not burying the cross, but the sheer joy of playing the game he loves came through the TV set and made me smile too.-I watched the game a 2nd time and I still don't know why Jozy's second goal didn't count. I see no foul or offside, so it must have been something else. Of course ESPN does such a shit job of producing these games that we may never know what really happens off the ball in these games. They never seem to have the right shots to show us what is going on.-No less than 6 players were to blame for El Salvador's goal. That is a colossal meltdown. Jonathan Bornstein is taking most of the beating from press and fans, and yes he started off the sequence with a horrible clearance from the end line. He played the ball up and over his head, but it went more sideways and right to El S's Zelaya who controlled the ball and turned into the box where he was semi-confronted by 3 more USA players, Bocanegra, Marshall and Bradley, who all stopped running and waited for the other guy to make a play. So Zelaya simply chipped the ball toward the penalty spot where Jonathan Spector was well positioned but still ball watching as 5'6" Christian Castillo towered up and over him to head the ball (Yes, 5'6"). And finally Tim Howard was out near the top of the 6 yard box for a weird stroll toward the back post and then lunged backward as the ball sailed over his outstretched arm and easily into the net. So blame Bornstein if you must, but the other 5 were just as bad on the play.-And the complete lack of holding the ball during the last 30 minutes of the game nearly gave all the USA fans a heart attack. Why is it so hard for this team to hold a lead comfortably. And why do you take off a player like Feilhaber who is one of the best technically on the team and replace him with an very inexperienced Beckerman who shovelfooted all over the field.-A huge boo goes out to Charlie Davies for his 2 ugly dives in the 2nd half. I hate that crap. And the second one caused him to jam his knee into the turf and injure it. What a fool. Why do players of that high skill level stoop to cheating to win. In the long run it never pays off. Unless you are Italy and win the World Cup!

3 Rodolfo Zelaya - All those big buys in back could barely stop this guy, and he set up a very nice goal. He should be on an MLS roster asap.2 Jozy Altidore - The game winning goal was a fantastic header. He deserved another goal too.1 Landon Donovan - Great as always. What can you say about this guy. Got pissed off after going down a goal and turned that energy into success.

ENGLAND - League OneMike Grella - Leeds - started, played 72 minutes and got the winning goal as they trimphed 2-0 at home over Stockport County.Jemal Johnson - Milton Keynes - went the full 90, scored the games first goal but lost 2-3 at home to Huddersfield Town.Jon-Paul Pittman - Wycombe - came on as a sub in the 67th minute but they lost 1-0 at Brighton.

NETHERLANDS - Eerste DivisieCharles Kazlauskas - Helmond Sport - played the full match as they drew 0-0 at BV Veendam.

NORWAY - AdeccoligaenJoe Lapira - Nybergsund - played the full 90 and scored what turned out to be the winning goal as they beat Skeid Oslo 4-1 at home.Jay Needham - Alta - went the distance as they won 1-0 at home over Haugesund.Connor Tobin - Nybergsund - came on as a sub in the 88th minute as they won 4-1 at home over Skeid Oslo.

SWEDEN - SuperettanColin Burns - Ljungskile - got a rare start in the goal but they lost 2-1 at Mjallby Solvesborg.Ryan Miller - Ljungskile - went the full 90 but they lost 2-1 at Mjallby Solvesborg.

AMERICANS IN MEXICO

Game Action:

PRIMERA DIVISIONEdgar Castillo - UANL - played the whole match as they drew 1-1 at home against his former team America.Michael Orozco - San Luis - went the full 90 in a scoreless draw at Atlas.Marco Vidal - Indios Juarez - started and played 54 minutes of a 2-0 loss at Cruz Azul.

Kahka Kahladze who has made his millions playing in Italy's Serie A helped the Italian national team by scoring 2 own goals for Georgia as they lost to the Italians by those 2 tallys. That smells like a clean pay off to me! Hahahaha.